The State-Level Consultation on Disability-Inclusive Sanitation in Tamil Nadu brings together practitioners, policymakers, disability rights advocates, and community representatives to explore how gender, sexuality, and rights intersect in urban sanitation. The event highlights inclusive design, community participation, and rights-based approaches as essential to ensuring accessibility and dignity for persons with disabilities in sanitation systems.
Organising partners
Key highlights
- The consultation emphasised that inclusive sanitation must address diverse disability needs, gender, and age considerations, grounded in universal design and functionality.
- Participants identified the gap between accessibility policies and their implementation, leading to widespread exclusion and systemic barriers.
- Discussions highlighted the unique challenges faced by trans and gender-diverse persons, underscoring the need for all-gender, safe, and inclusive sanitation facilities.
- Speakers drew attention to the limited political and systemic representation of persons with disabilities, which hinders effective sanitation reform.
- Creative tools such as puppet shows were used to raise awareness on disability inclusion, demonstrating how community-led methods can drive behavioural and social change.
